Minister's Musings 2009

DECEMBER 2009

I begin with a poem from the Fall/Winter 2008 edition of Thresholds Literary Journal, a collection of poems of UUCE members and friends. Some of the richest spirituality in our church has developed in this group of UUCE poets, authors, and artists.

“A Pilgrim Addresses Her Feet”
          by Harlean Richardson

Steady, old feet –
I know you’re itching to go.
Where will you take me today?
     to Tamalpais
          or Xanadu?

to Soleduck’s plunging gorge
     … for a misty walk
          on a still wet beach?

Perhaps
     into the deep woods we should go.

possibly somewhere closer to home
     maybe Central Park
          or the shopping mall?

Dear feet,
even the bus stop will do.
I leave it to you –
     whither thou goest
          I will go.

What a lovely snapshot of a threshold moment: Where will my feet take me? What experiences await?

We are on the threshold of a new year, a new decade: What will the new year bring?

We as a church are on the threshold of moving to our new home: What will this mean for us? Who will we become in this next stage of our shared religious life? Who and what will we serve?

The lengthening of the nights and approach of winter solstice I experience as a call to be still, listen to the darkness, and prepare for the return of the sun. What is growing within me? What do I need to release? Who am I becoming?

The Christian season of Advent invites me to prepare -- in faith, hope, love, and joy -- for the rebirth of Love, of Christ-nature within me. How can I create room for a perfect Love to make its home in my being?

This is a threshold time. Conscious plans and commitments will guide our steps to a certain extent. Something under the surface may, too: a more intuitive knowing, a receptivity to spirit – ears open to the call to live from our deepest and most wholesome self, and to become deeper still.

Happy New Year, fellow pilgrims!

in faith,
Rev. Stephen

In May 2007 after much research, our congregation voted to search for a new property, with larger facilities to accommodate our growth. On November 1, 2009, UUCE will vote on relocating to a property strongly supported by the BPOC (Building Property Oversight Committee), the Board, and Minister, at 13th and Chambers.

This is a critical time for our congregation, and the vote requires a 40% quorum of members. If you are a member, please come to this meeting. Even if you have not been attending frequently, even if you have not closely followed this process, please come to this meeting. Help us make a historic decision with everyone at the table. Be a part of this history!

The BPOC and its several committees have been working extremely hard and well on all stages of this process. If you haven’t already done so, please go to the church website for up-to-date information at http://www.uueugene.org/building-proj/Qs-and-As.html. The “Q and A” section answers most of the questions that have come to the leaders of this project. It’s not too late to learn about it.

I see an affirmative vote on November 1 as much more than a move to a larger facility. This vote is part of a transition in our functioning and being. If and when we move, we should have not just a moving party but a coming out party! Here’s the newspaper story that would best capture the move:

“No longer content to keep their liberal faith nestled in a beautiful but small church on a woody lot on the edge of town, The Unitarian Universalist Church in Eugene has moved to a less distinctive but far larger, more visible, accessible, and functional space. Interfaith and social service activities have more than doubled in the first six months of the move, and already signs of aesthetic transformation are taking place: it seems they brought some of the trees and life with them from their former home! And the doors of the congregation are now truly open wide – for thousands of passers-by to see, and with room inside to accommodate visitors. Dozens of new members grace the church with their questions, contributions, and spiritual growth.”

Let’s make this vision – newspaper story – a reality! And, regardless of your views, please do take the time to educate yourself about this proposal, and come on November 1 ready to listen and to vote.

in faith,
Rev. Stephen

GROWING A CHURCH, notes from

How can we grow this church healthily?
Here are some tips from Rev. Ames' sermon of October 4, 2009

• Embrace the benefits of the stage of growth we're entering, and lessen our attachment to the benefits of the stage we're leaving. We may need to grieve the loss of our pastoral church.

• See how many of the things we may have valued in the smaller church are present in different forms in a thriving mid-size, or program, church. Intimacy in small groups, for instance.

• Let go of knowing everyone's name and expecting most others to know yours.

• Let go of the expectation that people will chase you down if you skip a few weeks, or that the minister or anyone else will know if something is wrong in your life if you don't tell them… or if you want that kind of community, find it in the many small communities in the church: men's groups and women's groups, for instance. Take responsibility for communicating your needs to the people who can help you.

• Embrace the human connection and spiritual growth you may find in a Small Group Ministry, Adult Religious Education class or other venue.

• Embrace clear procedures and rules for accountability, making it easier for new people to step in and contribute. Let go of attachment to informality in process.    Embrace clarity, transparency, and accountability as spiritual practices.

• Come to appreciate that the program church minister's job is primarily to motivate, inspire, train, craft, and lead.

• Know that your minister putting most of his time into supporting and leading quality programs of spiritual value is a form of love. It has come to feel more loving to me than being THE ONE that everyone needs to see, be with, or talk to. Working behind the scenes to help you minister to one another is something that brings me great satisfaction and meaning… and I sincerely believe it is what this congregation most needs of its minister as it becomes more fully a program church.

• Most of all, we can grow this church by turning outwards in service to the larger community. As Reverend Peter Morales, President of the UUA, asked us, What are we called to be? Who are we called to be? The more deeply we explore these questions, and the more we live in response to our answers, the more we will grow in service to others.

For a brief prayer this morning, I invite you, not for the last time, to reflect on these questions:
           What are we called to be?
                  Who are we called to be?

OCTOBER 2009

As I write this article, our Centennial Celebration Sunday is still a week away, and yet I feel confident that I can say to you reading this after it happens: What a wonderful day in the history of our church! The place was packed! UUA President Rev. Peter Morales preached his socks off, inspiring us to grow our church! We learned about our past from people who lived it. In nearly every room of the church we learned something about our history, we celebrated, we ate cake, we laughed, if it rained we didn't care. We celebrated our one-hundredth birthday!

Further details of the event will follow its actual occurrence.

In so many ways, this church year is a time to look back on our heritage and step forward to create a worthy heritage for future generations. As some of you know, we've had a "congregational curriculum" the last two years, linking our worship, music, religious education, social justice focus, and other areas of our church. Two years ago, our congregational curriculum was the First Principle of Unitarian Universalism, the inherent worth and dignity of each person. Last year, it was the Seventh Principle, to respect the interdependence of all life of which we are a part. This year, it is "Our Living Tradition," our Unitarian and Universalist heritage. Knowing our own liberal religious tradition more deeply will help guide our steps and bolster our spirits in the next chapter of our congregation's life, which may very well include moving to a more central location. Our congregation is rare in its combination of Unitarian and Universalist histories prior to the 1961 consolidation of the two religious movements.

This fall, I am preaching on two key figures in American Unitarianism, William Ellery Channing and Ralph Waldo Emerson, with classes as well on Emerson. In the spring, we will focus more on American Universalism. This focus will help provide a grounding and framework for our own individual spiritual journeys and our shared life as a congregation. Ours is not an "anything goes" association of individuals who want the social trappings of church without religion. Nor is it a quasi-spiritual gathering of political liberals who substitute political dogma for religious dogma. We are the inheritors of two liberal religious traditions. Our freedom of thought and freedom to choose is meaningful to the extent that we have educated ourselves of our inheritance. Our freedom is truly empowering when it is grounded in a responsible and disciplined discernment of one's conscience and the effects of one's beliefs and actions on others. The liberal religious path comes with a great deal of responsibility, and requires humility and guidance, as freedom always does.

As we prepare to turn outward to the larger community, strongly and clearly, let us ask ourselves, "What is it, exactly, that we bring to the table?" Let us also ask, "What is it that guides us in times of confusion, conflict, or despair?" Let's avoid the temptation to rely on only easy answers to these questions. Let's steep ourselves in our living tradition and let it speak to us with a voice both ancient and fresh. May we return to it often in the months and years ahead, like a holy river cleansing our bodies, refreshing our minds, and restoring our souls.

in faith,
Rev. Stephen Ames

SEPTEMBER 2009

What an exciting time for our congregation -- preparing to vote on a new property, in fulfillment of several years of visioning, planning, and hard work. We may be on the cusp of the next stage of our church's history, moving to a larger and more central location, where we can touch -- and be touched by -- more people. And we've found a building that with affordable remodeling should suit us quite well!

What a tender time for our congregation -- preparing to vote on a new property, possibly to leave our current one, a place most of us love dearly and some of us do not feel ready to leave. A place where the cremated remains of some of our friends and family have been scattered. A place that has become a spiritual home to us -- for many years.

What a historic time for our congregation -- celebrating our Centennial, welcoming to the pulpit the Reverend Peter Morales, a former member of UUCE, in June elected President of the Unitarian Universalist Association. Also joining us will be Revs. Carl Nelson and __________, former ministers of UUCE. Our congregational curriculum -- church-wide theme -- this year is Our Living Tradition. We turn to the heritage of UUCE and of Unitarianism and Universalism to understand better where we came from and to help discern where we should be going.

This is an exciting, tender, historic time for our congregation. It is also a difficult time for those struggling to make ends meet in a global recession that has hit Oregon especially hard, a challenging and hopeful time for those who are committed to making UUCE a true servant to social justice in the years ahead.

During this rich and complex season, please be mindful of how differently people are experiencing it. The person sitting to your left on Sunday morning may be thrilled about the potential move; the person on your right may not be ready to give up what we have. The person next to that person may be a visitor who came for spiritual renewal and doesn't care for much church-talk. The person in front of you may be so worried about their own economic circumstance that they can't think of much else; the person behind you, also feeling the pinch of the recession, may feel that much more determined to build a stronger, more loving Unitarian Universalist presence in the Eugene-Springfield area to serve even more people.

This is a time when it's especially easy to turn in on oneself, to think of one's own needs more than others'. We all need to do this at times; let us be compassionate. And, this is an opportunity to turn ourselves outwards, to find our needs met in service, in working towards a vision of health and wholeness.

As your pastor, I am committed to honoring the health of the process for one of the most important decisions this congregation has made or will made. May we all be respectful and compassionate towards others, especially those with whom we disagree. Our Unitarian Universalist value of respecting the worth and dignity of each person calls us to do no less.

As your spiritual leader, I have to say plainly that I favor this move. I had the opportunity to tour the property before it went on sale, and I've been hoping it would go on the market. I love its visible location, its wheelchair accessibility, and its interior layout -- how can a place be so much larger on the inside than it appears on the outside? When I step inside the main entrance, I can easily envision it as our church, with well-designed spaces for worship, religious education, social events, meetings, offices, and more. It feels right to me. I see more possibilities for this space every time I see it, including a true conference room for church and community meetings. I'm sure we can put in some windows and/or skylights, build a playground, plant trees, and address other concerns. I would love to see a memorial garden, with soil and plants from our current property, and a plaque listing the names of all of those whose remains were spread here. I've seen several properties and think this one is by far the best match for us at this juncture. And I respect that this is the congregation's decision, one to make with deliberation and care.

This is a perfect time to practice being the kind of community we want to be, in our attentive listening and mindful speech. Let's not mistake our truth for THE truth. Let's assume others have a piece of the truth as well. Let's trust in the spirit of community to reveal the collective truth of our present circumstance, which will be larger that we think, and perhaps different.

in faith,
Rev. Steve

p.s. On behalf of my family, I thank all of you who offered good wishes on our wedding, and those who offered such a warm welcome on August 9. Your warmth and generosity of spirit is quite touching to us. I know it can be hard to share your minister with his (or her) family. Settled in now with such a deep and grounding love, I know that I have become a stronger man and minister. I am glad to be turning the page with you to the second century of our congregation's history. May the chapters we write be a blessing to those to follow.

JUNE 2009

“There are three stages in people's time here: arriving, being here, and leaving."

This insight came from an advisor in seminary, but I find that it applies to all significant undertakings. Moving to a new house or apartment alone can be a significant adjustment; some say it takes three or even five years to be fully moved in! As my second year as your minister comes to a close, I feel a strong sense of the first stage, arriving, shifting into the second stage, being here. I feel a similar sense regarding my transitions to Eugene, to Oregon, and to family life. Change and growth in each of these areas will continue, but I'll be greeting these changes with my feet planted more solidly on the ground.

One of my first and most difficult adjustments was not being able to be as available for pastoral care and visitation as I was in a much smaller church. Even though I anticipated this transition, it was difficult at first: I spread myself too thin. But I have found much satisfaction in establishing the Pastoral Associates program. As I hoped, I am finding as much value in helping others care for others as I am in caring for them directly. In our monthly meetings, I am reminded that there are far more people in the church receiving quality one-to-one visits now than was possible two years ago. There are people receiving visits who might not feel as comfortable talking with their minister, or who would prefer to speak with a woman, or someone with life experience that more closely matches their own. There are people who have met a couple of times with a Pastoral Associate and then met with me. I feel proud of this accomplishment -- a true transition for the church.

If you are facing a spiritual challenge, joy, or a life transition and would like someone to talk to, please contact the Pastoral Associates coordinator, through August, Sally DeCou, at 998-2110. If you are interested in becoming a Pastoral Associate, please complete the application found on the website and return it to office@uueugene.org by July 31. If you cannot access the website, please ask Office Administrator Steve Hutchison for a copy.

During this "arriving" phase, I have prioritized a few other areas that now provide greater solidity for UUCE in the years ahead. I am grateful to the staff, Board, other leaders, and to the congregation as a whole for making these transitions possible:  

* One 35-hour Administrator position with far too many demands on it has been replaced by three part-time positions: Office Administrator, Office Assistant, and Publications Specialist. Three very different kinds of work (1: office management, program support, and supervision; 2: reception and assistance; and 3: graphic design) have been separated for greater focus, and ably staffed.

* Grounding and focus for social justice work has been provided by the Social Justice Empowerment Workshop last November, in which 100 members participated, and by greater, more explicit religious grounding in worship and children's Religious Education. Our focus on the 1st and 7th Principles as congregational curriculae (that's plural for curriculum!) has helped root our activities in our religion. Focus has also been supported by the formation of a "Social Justice Cluster," so groups like Green Sanctuary now work more closely with others.

* Adult Religious Education is up and running, with classes offered in 2008-9 and more planned already for 2009-10. Small group ministry continues strong, as do Nonviolent Communication classes. The core of healthy Unitarian Universalism is people learning to walk in the ways of Love and Truth, and this most readily occurs in small groups.

I see this happening to a much greater extent than it was two years ago.

Next year, I plan to continue to support growth in these areas, and to teach more classes myself, beginning with a class on Emerson in the fall. I will turn my focus to the Worship Team -- if you'd like to be a part of this, please see my May newsletter article and the application on the website due by June 15! -- and to forming a "Sunday Morning Cluster" to help integrate all of the groups involved with Sunday morning worship, greeting, religious education, sound, fellowship, etc. I hope to build relationships in the larger community as well for future collaboration.

In the 2009-10 church year, the Committee on Congregational Ministry will conduct an assessment of the state of our church. Over the summer, I invite you to reflect on how you see UUCE ministering to the world, to its members, and to you and your family. How are we living out liberal religious values? What do you see as strengths and weaknesses, areas of creative tension, areas overlooked? How are we doing with our vision of becoming a more outwardly-focused congregation? What is making you most proud of UUCE, and what would make you most proud if something were changed? Please think about these questions and ask what others think of them.

During the vacation portion of my summer break, I will be getting married and on my honeymoon! Wendy and I thank all of you who have offered kind words and notes of support and celebration. I look forward to beginning the 2009-10 church year with the solidity of being married, with personal priorities set for life and with the everyday nurture and joy that my family has already begun to provide. I look forward to taking stock with you of the state of our shared congregational life and moving forward with enhanced vision and commitment.  

in faith,
Rev. Steve

MAY 2009

Crafting and leading worship services is a deeply satisfying activity for me, with many opportunities for growth.  It has been a spiritual practice on many levels.  When I first starting writing sermons and leading services in seminary, I found that I had, as with many seminarians, Too Many Ideas.  (Kim, leave unusual capitalizations).  Gradually this spiritual practice taught me You Don’t Have to Say It All (or Do It All) Today.  It taught me Patience, to Trust that everything has a place, and to know that in the present moment (our only venue for action), a little can go a long way.

This spiritual practice has taught me a deep respect for context.  It has taught me to think about my “audience” or congregation, to pay closer attention to seasons of many types (nature’s seasons, religious seasons, sometimes cultural or political seasons), and to ask myself, again and again, “Well, that’s very interesting, but So What?”  (“So what?” may be the most important questions worship leaders should ask themselves, and one another).  “How might this make a difference in their lives, given what you know of their lives?”  I find these questions, and this creative process, humbling, grounding, centering, and yet energizing.

Good worship leading requires careful preparation, yet also a readiness to dance with the unexpected. It requires cooperation and teamwork, with other participants and with the spirit of Creativity and Service.   It requires behind-the-scenes attention from people who tend to details little noticed, but critical to the experience of worship (at UUCE these people are called “anchors.”). 

If any of this appeals to you, go to our church website, www.uueugene.org,  and download an application for the 2009-10 Worship Team of Worship Associates and Anchors.  Complete the application and return it to the office, addressed to me.   For those with limited web and/or printer access, printed copies will be available in the social hall.  Applications are due at the end of this month, May 31.  I plan to invest more of my time with the Worship Associates next year and look forward to reviewing your application! 

*  *  *  *

I hope you will read the Board President’s column if you have not already done so.   Like many institutions, The Unitarian Universalist Church in Eugene is facing a budget shortfall. 

We have a highly dedicated, talented, and resourceful staff that I have the pleasure and honor of leading. My goal is to keep staff compensation at the same level it is this year.   Reductions in hours or salary/wage could lead staff to pursue alternative income sources to make ends meet.  Given the economic circumstances, maintaining current pay levels seems the best way to maintain high staff morale and focus, essential ingredients to our ability to serve the current membership and the steady stream of visitors who come through our doors!  Doing so will require more funds than currently committed for 2009-10. 

If you are in a position to help, with an increased pledge or gift, or a feasible and reliable fundraising opportunity, please notify the Budget Committee or a Board member as soon as possible, no later than May 10.

Thank you for your support of UUCE, whatever forms it takes.  I hope our church community is a support to you, during these troubling economic times and always.  If you are in need of greater support, please contact me at 686-2775, x1, or Pastoral Associates Coordinator Fred Schulz at 654-0554.

in faith,
Rev. Steve

APRIL 2009

MARCH 2009

FEBRUARY 2009

I’ve started reading a holiday gift from a congregant, Your Money or Your Life, by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominquez. It has me thinking more clearly about my money and my values. I’m noticing where I put money on things that have low value to me (for instance, buying significantly higher-priced groceries because I enjoy the experience of shopping at a particular store, and, the worst, bank and other fees resulting from poor financial management). I’m noticing where I am not putting money, or less money, on things that have high value to me (contributing to causes I believe in; saving for retirement, my son’s college education, and for vacations). While I started reading this book for myself, now I’m sure it will inform our February 8 worship service, the week before our Celebration Sunday service at Lane Community College on February 15 at 10am.

Our new president promised in his Inaugural Address to engage in the same kind of analysis in government, dropping programs with benefits insufficient to justify their costs, and keeping programs that are achieving worthy goals in costefficient ways. Rather than saying, “Spending is out of control. Let’s stop spending!” President Obama advocates for smart spending, with open, accountable processes. At least in theory, our government will be spending more, much more, in certain areas deemed to be worth the cost..

So, even though times may be lean for you (and your family), you may do well to resist the temptation to make across-the-board cuts. Make this a time to trim the fat, cut out things that aren’t helpful for you, and invest more of yourself (including your money) in things that do matter. I hope you will take a good look at the role of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Eugene in your life, as well as the role it plays for others. Especially when times are tough, people need community, and, I believe, in particular, religious community. Especially when government cuts are being considered, unemployment is on the rise, and anxiety may give way to fear and anger, liberal religious voices need to be heard, advocating for tolerance, compassion, and sustainable living.

In November I joined about a dozen other Eugene-area faith leaders in lobbying Rep. DeFazio on banning U.S. torture. I am yearning to engage in more public ministry of this sort, on your behalf. But as the sole minister for a congregation with over 400 members, I can’t find the time for this very often. Our proposed budget for next year includes a part-time Volunteer Coordinator or Leadership Developer position, with plans for an Assistant or Associate Minister to follow in 2010. With this increased staffing, UUCE will have a greater public presence and much stronger support for its volunteer leadership. Part of me thinks, how audacious to seek a new staff position in such times. Yet such times call for a strong church, and increased staffing is what we need.

Please think well about what this community means to you, and what it would mean to you to help sustain it for the next one hundred years. Please think about your relationship with money – one of the topics of our Small Group Ministry program this year.

See you at church… and at LCC!
In faith, Rev. Steve

JANUARY 2009

Happy Birthday!

Happy 100th birthday to our congregation, now known as the Unitarian Universalist Church in Eugene!

This month UUCE historian Gil Osgood will present a service on January 4 and at worship services on January 25 the children's Religious Education program will present a pageant celebrating our centennial. We'll have a few presentations on our history during worship services in the coming months and cap our celebration with a special service in the early autumn.

Birthdays are a natural time to reflect on the state of one's life and living - especially birthdays ending with zero (and we now have a birthday ending with two of them). I am excited by the fact that our social justice program is gathering significant momentum and focus just as we turn 100. I am glad of our institutional maturation, establishing structures for caring (Caring Committee, Pastoral Associates) and clarifying governance (roles of the Board and Coordinating Council, for instance) in ways befitting a church our size, with less reliance on one leader (the minister) or one group (the Board).

I find myself reflecting also that we are kicking off our centennial in the same month as our country will install its first African-American president (indeed, the first president without two white parents) and as our country is steeped in a deep economic recession, with significant effects already in Lane County, including layoffs in the public and private sectors, decreased government services, and increased reports of crime. What is the role of our church in these exciting and troubled times? What is the role of our church in your personal life? How is UUCE helping you be a better person, and how could it be? How is UUCE, even in small ways, contributing to the health of our society, and how could it be? I invite you to reflect on these things and to share your thoughts with others, including me.

Here we are, one hundred years old as a congregation. Let us reflect, and let us celebrate!

In faith,
Rev. Steve